Automobile radio set



p 6- E. BOOTH I 2,053,941

AUTOMOBILE RADIO SET Filed March 7, 1954 :5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I E. C. BOOTH Sept. 8, 1936.

AUTOMOBILE RADIO SET 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March '7, 1934 E. c. BOOTH 2,053,941

AUTOMOBILE RADIO SET Filed March 7, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Sept. 8, 1936 1 e UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE",

AUTOMOBILE RADIO SET Earl C. Booth, Columbus, Ind.,' assignor to Noblitt-Sparks Industries, Inc., Columbus, Ind., a corporation oflndiana Application March '7, 1934, Serial No. 714.411 8 Claims. (Cl. 250 -16) It is the primary object of my invention to in the drawings. The precise form of the frame produce an arrangement for the mounting and [5 will varywith thecharacter of the electrishielding of an automobile radio set which will cal apparatus constituting the radio set and may increase the flexibility, of installation and facilitake any desired form. Conveniently, however,

5 tate the mounting of the set in any place in the it is so arranged that in cross-section it is apautomobile where there is space for it. A 'furproximately square exteriorly. ther object of my invention is to provide for I For the frame l5 and the electrical apparatus an automobile radio set a combined casingand mounted upon it, I provide a shielding shell con-' support which can be opened to provide ready sisting of three parts. The two shell-parts I6 access to the set. p and I! shown in Fig. 9 cover the four sides of the 10 In carrying out my inventionl mount the elecchassis while the third shell-part l8, a generaltrical apparatus of the set upon a frame and pro- 1y square cap having .its edges bent at rightvide a shielding shell of sheet-metal adapted to angles to form flanges and shown in assembled enclose the frame and the apparatus mounted position in Fig. 1, covers the end of the chassis.

upon it. The shielding shell is of a generally The shell-part H3 in co-operation with a trans- 15 parallelepipedal shape and is adapted to be reverse wall and longitudinally extending flanges ceived within an enclosing casing. The casing is on the four sides of the frame 55 forms a compartcomposed of two or more parts, one of which is merit [9 which may be utilized for the mounting adapted to be secured in any desired position of suppressor units (not shown). The shell-part in the automobile, while the other or others are I6 s in th f of a t sheet-metalplate having 20 removable to permit access to the radio set. The along i Opp longitudinal g s pa alle shielding shell is substantially square in crossflanges 2| the edges of Which are Offset outwardly section so that it and the electrical apparatus to p ov e Space h reception of the free ed within it .can be placed in four different pOsiof the sidewalls of .the shell-part I1, as is clearv tions within the casing, and the casing is profrom Figs- 3, and Bolts 22 passing threllgh 25 vided with a set of openings so arranged that the he flanges 2| on the shell-part I6 and throu h necessary electrical and mechanical connections fl g s 3 n e. h SS sf ame l5 serve to secure to the apparatus within the shell can be made in the shell-part 16 to the chassis-frame. The end any position. shell-part I8 is secured to the .chassis-frameby The accompanying drawings illustrate my inmeans of screws or bolts 25 (Fig. 1). 30

vention: Fig. 1 is a horizontal section on the line For the reception of the shielding shell 16-41- l-l of Fig. 3 showing the radio set mounted on 2. l3 a d t pp m u eo ta ned Within it, I propartition which maybe the dash of an automobile; vide a casing co s g of a ase a COVeIiZT; Fig.2 is an elevation of the rear side of the casing; and an end-closure 28. The base 26, which is con- 5 Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 ofFig. structed of relatively heavy sheet-metal, provides 1; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing a back-wall 33 and an end-wall 3| for the casing. the set in a different position within the cas- Al the d edges, t e Wa s 30 and 3| are bent ing; Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 1; at right angles to provide flanges 30' and 3|. Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the casing with parts In addition, the center p r n of the b and thereof broken away to show, in section on the end walls 30 and 31 are offset outwardly, as indi- 40 line 55 of Fig. l, certain parts of the set and its cated at 32 and 33 to increase their stiffness. The enclosing casing in a position different from that base-26 may be provided with a lining 35 of sheetshown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a fragmental sectional metal which has a back wall in'contact with the view on the line 'I'! of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is an isoback wall 30, side walls secured to the flanges 30' 5 metric view of the outer casing; Fig. 9 is an isoand projecting beyond them, and an' end wall lymetric view of parts of the shielding shell; Fig. ing within the end wall 3| of the base.

10 is an isometric view of the base portion of the The cover 21 consists of a single Piece s eetcasing; and Fig. 11 is an isometric view of an metal bent to provide front and side walls. The auxiliary shielding member. front wall has .a lip 36 which fits over the front The electrical apparatus used in a device emedge or the end wall of the lining 35, as indicated 50 bodying my invention is mounted upon a frame in Fig. 1, and the side walls of the cover are I5 which is built up of flanged sheet-metal partrimmed to abut against the edges of the flanges titions to provide the necessary compartments and 30 and 3|, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. support for the electrical apparatus of the radio The end-closure 28 is a substantially square set, only the larger elements of which are shown piece of sheet-metal the edges of which are bent: 55

.707,569, filed January 20,

inwardly to provide parallel flanges overlying the front and side walls of the cover 21 and the extreme end of the back wall of the lining 35, which projects slightly beyond the end of the back wall 30 of the base as indicated at 31 in Fig. 1.

The three parts 26, 21, and 28 of the casing are releasably held together by any convenient means. I prefer to employ for this purpose the latches 40 shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 8, which are generally similar to those used upon luggage. Two of the latches 40 may be mounted on each side wall of the cover 21 for co-operation with abutments 4| formed in the adjacent flange 36' of the back wall of the base to hold the cover in association with the base; and one of the latches 40 may be mounted on each side wall of the cover 21 in position to co-operate with an abutment 42 formed upon the adjacent flange of the cover 28, all as shown in Fig. 8.

The casing 26-21 28 may be adapted for mounting in any convenient way, but I prefer the arrangement illustrated in the drawings. There, the base 26 of the casing is adapted to have secured to it three mounting screws or studs 45. At the place where each of such screws is to be attached, the metal of the base is pierced and deformed inwardly to provide a circular opening 46 having around its periphery an inwardly projecting, screw-threaded flange 41. If the holes 46 are located in the offset portion 32 of the back wall 30 of the base, the flanges 41 will lie outside the back wall of the lining 35 and will not interfere with the apparatus within the casing. Conveniently, the screw-threads of the flanges 41 are tapered pipe-threads, so that no nut is necessary to secure the studs or screws 45 in place.

To increase the flexibility of installation, a set of screw-threaded stud-receiving openings similar to the openings 46 may be provided, as indicated at 48 in the offset portion 33 of the end wall 3| of the base. By means of the two sets 41 and 48 of screw-threaded flanges, either the back wall 30 or the end wall 3| of the base may be mounted against a support such as the dash 49 shown in Fig. l.

The shielding shell |6'|1|8, the casing, and its lining 35 are provided with openings for the passage of means affording electrical and mechanical connection with portions of the radio set located outside the casing. Conveniently, all the electrical connections to parts of the set outside the casing, with the exception of the antenna connection, are made through the medium of a plug 5| which passes through openings in the end wall of the base, in the end wall of the lining 35, and in the shield-part l8 into co-operation with a socket 52 located within the compartment |9 and supported from the frame l5, as is clear from Fig. 1. Preferably, the socket 52 is located on the longitudinal axis of the frame |5 so that it will be in alinement with the opening in the end wall of the casing irrespective of the position occupied by the frame l5 and its shielding shell within the casing.

The set illustrated in the drawings includes three pieces of apparatus which, in the operation of the set, require mechanical adjustment. These are the volume-control and tone-control rheostats 55 and 56 and the gang tuning condensers 51, 58, and 59.

Preferably, the adjustment of these three elements is effected by means of the control unit illustrated in my copending application Serial No.

1934, Patent No. 2,046,605, July 7, 1936. This control unit embodies BoWden-wire mechanism for effecting tuning adjustment of the set and two flexible shafts which are adapted to be operatively connected to the rheostats 55 and 56.

The adjustable elements of the tuning condensers, 51, 58, and 59 are all mounted on a common shaft 6| which carries, near one end of the frame I5, a grooved pulley 62 to which one end of the Bowden-wire 63 is passed. A torsion spring 64 acts between the pulley 62 and a fixed point and tends to rotate the shaft 6| in one direction, the Bowden-wire 63 serving to rotate it in the other direction. The Bowden-wire extends through am enclosing flexible casing 65 to the control unit, as set forth in my co-pending application above referred to, the end of the enclosing casing 65 being secured by a clip 66 to a bracket 61 supported by the frame IS.

The mounting of the rheostats 55 and 56 is perhaps best shown in Fig. '7. A bracket 16, supported upon the frame l5, has a circular opening in it at the place where each of the rheostats 55 and 56 is to be attached. Each of the rheostats has a stationary central flanged hub 1| coaxially with which is mounted a shaft 12 by the rotation of which the rheostat is adjusted. The outer end of the hub 1 I, which passes through the opening in the bracket 10, is screw-threaded for the reception of a clamp-nut 12' which clamps the flange of the hub 1| against the back face of the bracket and a collar 13 against the front face of the bracket. The collar 13 is provided with internal screw-threads for the reception of the externally threaded end of a sleeve 14 which provides bearing support for a rotatable connecting member 15. The member 15 is permanently connected to the end of a flexible shaft 16 and also has a tongue-and-groove connection with the end of the rheostat-shaft 12, whereby rotation of the flexible shaft 16 is availed of to adjust the rheostat.

At its outer end, the sleeve 14 is counterbored and internally screw-threaded for the reception of a clamping nut 18. This clamping nut has an axial opening which receives the sheath 19 of the flexible shaft 16 and its inner end is provided with one or more longitudinal slots so that, as it is tightened, it will collapse and grip the sheath 19. The two sheaths 19 and the shafts within them extend to the control unit, as set forth in my co-pending application above referred to.

For the passage of the sleeves 14, the part H of the shielding shell is provided with a pair of openings 8| in one of its side walls. The same side wall is provided near the opposite end with a notch 82 through which the Bowden-wire casing 65 extends. The casing lining 35 has in its three longitudinal walls openings 8| for the passage of the sleeves 14 and notches 82 for the passage of the Bowden-wire casing 65.

As previously indicated, I contemplate that the shielding shell |6-|1 will be substantially square in cross-sectionthat is, that its two cross-sectional over-all dimensions will be substantially equal. This enables the shielding shell and the set within it to be placed in the casing in any of four possible positions. To take advantage of this possibility, it is of course necessary that all four walls of the casing and its lining 35 be provided with openings for the passage of the flexible shafts and the Bowden-wire.

In order that the flexible shafts and the Bowden-wire may pass through the back wall of the casing, I make the studs 45 hollow and arrange the openings 46 in which such studs are mounted in line with the rheostat-shafts 12 and with the notch 82 in the shielding shell, respectively. Each of the three walls of the casing-lining 35 is provided with a notch for the passage of the Bowden-wire and with holes for the passage of the flexible shafts. Near each end, each of the walls of the cover '21 is notched as indicated at 84, as shown in Fig. 8, and the corresponding flanges of the end-closure 28 are correspondingly notched for the passage of the Bowden-wire. Similarly, pairs of openings 85 are provided in each of the three walls ofthe cover 21 for the passage of the flexible shafts. Conveniently, the metal surrounding each of the openings 85 is deformed outwardly to provide a space for the reception of flexible fingers 86 secured to caps 91 by means of which those holes 95 which are not in use may be covered.

In addition to the adjustments which must be provided for control of the radio set when it is operating, it may be necessary to provide access to the set for occasional adjustment of other elements. Such elements may include trimming condensers for the tuning condensers'51, 58, and 59, which trimming condensers are adjusted by the screws 89 shown in Fig. 1, and condensers 90 in the intermediate-frequency stages of the radio set, if it is of the superheterodyne type. I therefore provide in the shielding-shell auxiliary openings 91 through which access may be had for the purpose of effecting the adjustment of such elements.

In Figs. 4 and 6, the chassis of the radio set is disposed within the casing in such a position that the mechanical controls pass through one of the side walls of the outer casing. In such a position, as is clear from the drawings, the sleeves 14 project beyond the side walls -of the casing-cover 21 so that the clamp nut 18can be removed, the shafts 16 and connectors 15 withdrawn, and the sleeves 14 themselves unscrewed from their mounting in the collar 13 to permit removal of the casing-cover 21. The Bowden-wire casing 65, as is clear from Fig. 4, passes through a hollow nut 95 and through a lateral opening in a cap 96 which is secured to an ear 91 on the bracket 61 by means of the nut 95. The cap 96, which extends through the notches 82 and 84 and projects beyond the side wall of the cover 21, may have secured to it the shielding sheath 98 of the antenna lead 99.

When the radio set is mounted within the easing in such a position that the rheostat-adjusting shafts 12 project toward the back of the casing, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, and 5, the flexible shafts 16 and the Bowden-wire casing 65 extend through the hollow studs 45. Since the sleeves 14, through the medium of which the flexible shafts 16 are connected to the rheostat shafts 12, are of a length suflicient to extend through the wall of the outer casing, they would, unless altered, interfere with the mounting of the radio set within the casing in the position illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, and 5. To prevent any such interference, therefore, I shorten the sleeves 14 when the radio set is to be mounted with such sleeves projecting rearwardly. To facilitate this shortening of the sleeves, I may provide each of them with an annular groove (Fig. 7) marking the place at which the sleeve is to be severed if the flexible shafts and Bowden-wire are to extend through the studs 45.

With the sleeves shortened by cutting them off at the grooves I09, they will clear the inner ends of the screw-threaded flanges 41 by means of which the studs 45 are secured in place. The rear ends of the studs 45 are internally screwthreaded, similarly to the outer ends of e the sleeves 14,.for the reception of the clamping nuts 18 by means of which the sheaths 19 of the flexible shafts 16 are held in position The clamping nuts 18 are shown in position in the rear ends of the studs 45 in Figs. 1 and 5.

When the radio set is to be mounted within the casing in the position shown in Figs. 1, ,3, and 5, the hollow nut 95, which is used to mount the cap 96 upon the bracket 61, is discarded, and the cap 96 is mounted as shown in Fig. 1, upon the rear. end of that stud 45 which is in the plane of the pulley 62. r

Whether or not the studs 45 serve as passages for the flexible shafts 16 and the Bowden-wire 63, they are secured to the dash 490xequivalent portion of an automobile bypassing therethrough and being secured in position by clamp-nuts 102 disposed upon opposite sides of the dash.

The use of hollow studs 45 or of equivalent mounting members as both a support for the radio casing and the passage for leading through the dash such elements as the flexible shafts 16,.the Bowden-wire 63, and the antenna lead 99 is more fully set forth and claimed in the co-pending application of myself and Walter E. Peek, Serial No. 668,776, filed May 1, 1933, Patent No. 1,965,- 628, July 10, 1934.

In addition to the two positions of the radio set Within the casing illustrated in the drawings, two other positions are possible-namely, a posi-e tion in which the flexibleshafts 16and Bowdenwire 63 pass through the bottom wall of the outer casing and the position in which they pass through the front wall of the casing. When these elements extend through the bottom wall of the casing, the arrangement is substantially similar to that set forth in Fig. 6, the caps 81 which cover the holes 85 in the bottom wall of the casing being removed, while those which cover theholes in the top wall of the casing are left in place. When the flexible shafts and Bowden-wire are to extend through the front wall of the casing, the sleeves 14 project through the open side of the lining 35 and through the openings 85 in the front wall of the cover 21, the caps 91 for such openings being removed.

Preferably, the overall external dimensions of the shell |6--I1l8 are less than the internal dimensions of the lining 35 to provide space between the shell and the lining for the reception of some packing material such as the corrugated paper indicated at I95 in Fig. 1. To avoid confusion in the drawings, the corrugated paper is illustrated only fragmentally in Fig. 1, and may completely surround the shielding shell I6- 11-48.

The frame I5, the shielding shell l6--I1-l8, the lining 35, and the outer casing 29-2128 are all made of metal and are all grounded to the metallic structure of the automobile through the connection provided by the studs 45 between the dash 49 and the base 26 of the outer casing. To provide a shielding covering for the notches 82' in the lining 35, I may use the auxiliary shielding members I I0 one of which is shown in Fig. 11. These are made of thin strips of sheet-metal each of which is folded back on itself along a longitudinal line to receive the edge of the lining 35. Each of the auxiliary shielding members is provided with a projecting portion III which overlies the associated notch 82.

It is obvious that the structure illustrated and described provides great flexibility of installation, which is a great advantage in view of the fact that the radio set must be installed in a wide variety of makes and models of automobiles. The back of the casing can be mounted against the dash of the automobile or other supporting member with the casing either vertical or horizontal; or, if desired, the end of the casing may be mounted against the dash or other supporting member. The radio set may be disposed within the casing in any of four different positions so that the flexible shafts 16, the Bowden-wire 63, and the antenna lead 99 may be brought out on whichever side of the casing is most convenient.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a dash-mounted automobile radio set, a casing enclosing a portion of the radio set, one or more hollow mounting members, said members extending through the dash of the automobile and being secured thereto, one end wall and one side wall of said casing having provisions for the attachment of said mounting members whereby said casing may be mounted with either such side Wall or such end wall adjacent the dash, the radio set within the casing including an adjustable device having a movable adjusting member, and a power-transmitting element operatively connected to said movable member and adapted to extend through one of said mounting members.

2. In an an automobile radio set, a casing enclosing a portion of the radio set including an adjustable element having a movable adjusting member, a support, a hollow mounting member extending through said support and secured to said support and casing to support the latter, a power-transmitting element operatively connected to said movable adjusting member and extending outwardly from said casing through said hollow mounting member, a sheath for said power-transmitting element, and means for securing said sheath to said mounting member.

3. In an automobile radio set, a base of general L-shape constituting one side wall and one end wall of a parallelepipedal casing, means for mounting said base upon a portion of an automobile, a cover constituting the other three side walls of the casing, and an end closure constituting the other end wall of the casing, releasable means for securing said cover to said base, releasable means for securing said end closure to said base and cover, and apparatus constituting at least a portion of a radio set disposed within said casing.

4. The invention set forth in claim 3 with the addition that said mounting means includes a hollow member secured to said base, said radio apparatus having a rotatable adjusting member in alinement with said hollow member, and a power-transmitting element operatively connected to said adjusting member and extending through said hollow member.

5. In an automobile radio set, a parallelepipedal casing, means for securing said casing in fixed position in the automobile, a rigid frame fitting Within said casing, electrical apparatus constituting at least a part of the radio set mounted on said frame, said frame projecting beyond the limits of the apparatus mounted upon it to engage the walls of said casing and prevent contact of such apparatus therewith, said frame and the apparatus it carries being removable from said casing as a unit and insertable into said casing in any of a plurality of positions a-ngularly displaced from each other about an axis extending longitudinally of the casing, the electrical apparatus mounted on said frame including an adjustable device having a movable adjusting member disposed near one side of the frame, and a flexible power-transmitting element detachably associated with said adjusting member for connecting it to a remote control, the side walls of said casing being respectively provided with openings for the passage of said flexible element in any position of said frame.

6. The invention set forth in claim 5 with the addition that an end wall of said casing is provided with an opening located on the longitudinal axis of the casing for the passage of an electrical connection, an electrical socket mounted on said frame in line with said opening to receive such connector and connected to the electrical apparatus on said frame.

'7. The invention set forth in claim 5 with the addition of one or more closures for closing those of said openings through which said flexible element does not pass.

8. In an automobile radio set, a parallelepipedal casing, means for securing said casing in fixed position in the automobile, a rigid frame fitting within said casing, electrical apparatus constituting at least a part of the radio set mounted on said frame, said frame projecting beyond the limits of the apparatus mounted upon it to engage the walls of said casing and prevent contact of such apparatus therewith, said frame and the apparatus it carries being removable from said casing as a unit and insertable into said casing in any of a plurality of positions angularly displaced from each other about an axis extending longitudinally of the casing, and means mounted at one end of said frame on the longitudinal axis of the casing for the reception of a connection adapted to connect the apparatus upon said frame with another portion of the radio set located Without the casing, the end wall of said casing being provided with an axial opening for the passage of such a connection.

EARL C. BOOTH. 

